DESCRIPTION: This proposal is to request support for a Keystone Symposia meeting entitled "Molecular Basis for Biological Membrane Organization", organized by Kai Simons, Ira Mellman and Petra Schwille, which will be held in Big Sky, Montana from January 12 - 17, 2008. The organization of cell membranes is a hot topic and the field is characterized by controversies regarding how proteins and lipids interact and how membranes become compartmentalized to form platforms that function in signaling, trafficking and cell polarization. Lipids and membranes are central to understanding the pathogenesis of important diseases such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's Disease, AIDS and influenza. Major questions revolve around how lipids interact with other lipids and, most importantly, how proteins and lipids interact. The goal of this meeting is to bring together scientists from biochemistry, structural biology, lipidomics, molecular cell biology and biomedicine to discuss major issues in the field. The multidisciplinary character of the meeting will promote discussion and the program is designed to stimulate exchange among investigators who would not otherwise interact. The principles regulating protein-lipid interactions in membranes are central to understanding not only the intact cell, but also the pathogenesis of major diseases, such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, AIDS and influenza. This symposium will bring together leading experts and scientists from membrane biochemistry, biophysics, biomedicine, structural biology and molecular cell biology, to set the stage for a more sophisticated and multidisciplinary exploration of membrane structure and function. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]